Grief and Bereavement Counseling in Virginia Beach, Virginia: Incorporating EMDR, EFT, Art Therapy, and Ego State Work for Lasting Change
Grief is a natural response to loss, whether through actual death or perhaps mourning a relationship you've released. As Megan Devine says, It's Ok That You're Not Ok (https://refugeingrief.com)
Socially and culturally, we struggle to support each other effectively in the grief process. Grief can create isolation. Physiologically, our body may ache and lag. We may come to know that the part of us that existed before the loss has "died," as well.
Counseling for grief is not about fixing; it's about navigating and creating meaning that honors the value of the person or experience we've lost. This can involve exploring things left unsaid and the doubt that can follow. Together we will integrate the experience into one of reverence and empowerment.
Our work together is informed by several approaches depending on what your grief calls for. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can be particularly effective when grief is entangled with trauma, shock, or a loss that was sudden or unexpected to help the nervous system process what the mind hasn’t yet been able to integrate. EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) supports the relational dimensions of grief, including how loss strains or reshapes our closest bonds. EFT helps us connect with the deeper emotions and give those parts of us a voice. Honoring these emotions creates peace. As a Registered Art Therapist (ATR), I may incorporate Art Therapy approaches including photo therapy, which can be especially supportive in the acute early stage when words and meaning-making are hard and grief is primarily felt in the body. Ego State work (also known as "parts work") offers a way to understand and tend to the parts of us that are carrying the loss, including the part that existed before it, and may feel lost itself.
Although grief itself is a normal process in the experience of living, if you are experiencing grief-related thoughts, behaviors, or feelings that are distressing, please contact me today for a free consultation.
What Grief Counseling Can Help With
Grief is a shape-shifter and shows up in unique ways for each loss. I support clients navigating:
Death of a loved one Whether sudden or anticipated, recent or long-carried, grief for a person we love can surface in ways that feel surprising, isolating, or physically overwhelming.
Pregnancy and infant loss Miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility, failed IVF, and pregnancy termination each carry a grief that is often invisible to others and complicated by silence, shame, or the absence of social rituals that acknowledge the loss. The depth of grief is not determined by how far along you were or whether others understood the significance of what you were carrying. This loss is real, the emotions are layered, and you deserve genuine support.
Pet loss The death of a beloved animal is a profound loss that is frequently minimized by others. For many people, their pet was their most consistent source of comfort, companionship, and unconditional presence. That grief deserves to be taken seriously.
Anticipatory grief Grieving before a loss has fully arrived, whether you’re supporting someone through a terminal illness, watching cognitive decline, or facing an ending you can see coming.
Ambiguous and complicated grief Sometimes the loss isn’t clean. It may involve estrangement, a complicated relationship, a role or identity that quietly disappeared, or a loss that others don’t recognize as real. This kind of grief can be among the hardest to find resolution and closure because it calls into question our own identity, experience, and beliefs.
Pet Loss Grief Counseling in Virginia Beach
Losing an animal companion is complex and often misunderstood. The relationship with our companion animals is multi-faceted, but even the well-meaning people in our life may speak of our pets as though the relationship were interchangeable with "another one." It isn’t. If you’ve lost a pet and find that the grief is affecting your daily life, your ability to function, or your sense of meaning, counseling can help. We can explore the full meaning and complexity of your bond without minimizing it, and work toward an integration that honors who they were and who they were to you.
As an additional resource, FETCH A Cure offers a donation-based Pet Loss Support Group for those seeking community support alongside or independent of individual counseling.
What to Expect in Grief Counseling
Frustrating but true, grief work is not a linear process and the experience of grief is unique to the individual and the loss. To that end, sessions are tailored to where you are not where anyone believes you “should” be. I see some clients in the acute early stage, when words and meaning-making are especially hard and grief is primarily felt in the body. I also see clients for whom grief resurfaces unexpectedly, perhaps in a more complex presentation, years after a loss. Grief arrives in its own time. All are welcome
Is Grief Counseling Right for You?
Grief itself is a normal part of living. Not everyone needs counseling to move through it. But if you’re experiencing grief-related thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that are significantly disrupting your daily life, and especially if you feel stuck, isolated, or like the loss is getting heavier rather than lighter, it may be time to reach out.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation so we can talk about what you’re experiencing and whether working together feels like a good fit. Message me through the contact form; I'm happy to help you identify the next right step.